Paparazzi who took photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales, dying in a car wreck stopped police from getting to the scene, her inquest heard today.

Eyewitness Clifford Goorovadoo said: “It is true that when the first police officers arrived the journalists would not let them through. They were pushing.”

Mr Goorovadoo, a chauffeur who was parked down the road from the 1997 Alma Tunnel crash in Paris, later recognised photographer David Odekerken from a picture line-up.

He told police: “He was taking photographs of the victims and the vehicle.

“He was also one of those who ran away when the police arrived. He therefore can not be one of those photographers who hindered the police.”

Alerted by the “roar of a car engine” Mr Goorovadoo looked up and spotted a motorcycle in hot pursuit of a Mercedes which was carrying Diana.

The pillion passenger on the motorbike was taking photographs just before the Mercedes crashed, according to Mr Goorovadoo. He was not certain if a flash gun was being used.

There was “a tremendous noise” moments later and Mr Goorovadoo rushed to help the victims. He was quickly identified as a key witness by the press, the inquest heard.

It is believed that Mr Goorovadoo has refused to appear at the central London inquest, but the hearing today heard evidence from his police statements made at the time.

Tom de la Mare, for the Ritz Hotel, raised the possibility that Mr Goorovadoo may have been “got at” by the paparazzi to change his account so as not to paint them in such a bad light.

Mr Goorovadoo made six police statements, the first at 2.30am on August 31 1997 just two hours after Paris crash which killed Diana, her lover Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.

His statements, including variations on the possible distance of the motorbike to the Mercedes, were read out to the jury.

Mr de la Mare said: “There is at least a suspicion that he has been got at.

“We know that the press were trailing him and now his account has changed in a fundamental way to exculpate the people on the motorbike. Maybe it is a bit fishy?”

The coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker said: “One possible explanation is that the memory close to the time is the better memory.”

Inspector Paul Carpenter, who has reviewed all the witness statements being read into court, said: “He (Mr Goorovadoo) was angry on August 31. He may have calmed down and reflected by the time of his (later) statements.”

Mr de la Mare added: “You might also consider asking has he been put under any pressure to change his statement?”

Mr Carpenter replied: “You could argue that.” Mr Goorovadoo, a chauffeur who has driven Mercedes similar to the car which crashed, said the person at the wheel must have been a “mad man” to have driven like that.

Mr Goorovadoo was “outraged” and could not understand the attitude of the photographers who argued and jostled for position without giving any help.

Apart from the two photographers he saw arrested he could not recognise the other four who approached and started taking shots of the car, he told police.

“I was too busy helping the injured,” Mr Goorovadoo said.

“At no stage did they come to the aide of the injured. They just took photographs of the scene.

“I think that the emergency services might have arrived sooner if they had just called them.” He also told the French detectives: “When I was holding the head of one of the injured people I heard the photographers arguing about the best shots.

“I turned around and shouted at them that they had better things to do.”

The photographers have claimed they did not call for help, thinking that members of the public had already done it.

Photographer Serge Arnal was among the first paparazzi to arrive at the crash scene.

The French authorities mounted an investigation against all but two of the photographers on potential charges of failing to render assistance and involuntary manslaughter.

The investigation focused on the driving of the paparazzi and whether they sought to help the injured.

The case against the paparazzi was dismissed in December 1999 when the judge was satisfied the driving of the photographers had not caused the crash.